Job 22:18
in Job 22But it was He who filled their houses with good things; so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
KJV
Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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This verse in Job 22
Commentary
10 notes on this verseYet He has filled their houses with good things. The Lord 'filleth the houses of the wicked with good things,' in that even to the unthankful He refuses not His gifts, that either they may blush at the loving-kindness of their Creator and be brought back to goodness, or altogether despising to return thereto, may from the same cause be there worse punished, that here they rendered an evil return for God's more bounteous good, so that severer woes should there chastise those whose wickedness here not even gifts overcame.
This site's exposition
the ancient path that wicked men have trod
on Job 22:15-18
Eliphaz points to the ancient path of men who "were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood". Henry and Gill tie it to Genesis 7. The words "Depart from us" render the same Hebrew as the defiance Job cited at 21:14.
This site's exposition
so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked
Eliphaz repeats Job's line from Job 21:16 word for word, and Barnes and Clarke both call it sarcasm. Barnes hears him mocking Job's claim that such men prospered. Henry notes that houses full of goods can hide hearts empty of grace.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
To aggravate their fault he then speaks about their ingratitude saying, "though he filled their houses with good things," with temporal things which are given by God to men. To disprove their assertion he says, "let the opinion of these men be far from me."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Yet he filled their houses with good things,....
Many have their houses full of goods but their hearts empty of grace, and thereby are marked for ruin. The protestation which Eliphaz makes against the principles and practices of those wicked people: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
He gives him very good counsel, assuring him that, if he would take it, God would return in mercy to him and he should return to his former prosperity,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me - Sarcastically quoting Job’s words, Job 21:14, Job 21:16. Job, having in the preceding chapter described the wicked, who said unto the Almighty, “Depart from us,” etc., adds, But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. Eliphaz here, having described the impious, among whom he evidently ranks Job, makes use of the same expression, as if he had said, “Thank God, I have no connection with you nor your companions, nor is my mind contaminated by your creed.”
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"Yet" you say (see on Job 21:16) that it is "He who filled their houses with good"--"their good is not in their hand," but comes from God. but the counsel . . . is--rather, "may the counsel be," &c.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Yet he filled their houses with good things - This is undoubtedly a biting sarcasm. Job had maintained that such people were prosperous. “Yes,” says Eliphaz, “their houses were well filled! They were signally blessed and prospered!” But the counsel of the wicked is far from me - This is the very language of Job, Job 21:16. It is used here sarcastically. “Far from me,” you say, “be the counsel of the wicked. Thus you defend them, and attempt to show that they are the favorites of heaven! You attempt to prove that God must and will bless them! Far from me, say I, be the counsel of the wicked! With them I have no part, no lot. I will not defend them ... I will not be their advocate!” The object is, to show that, notwithstanding all that Job had said, he was secretly the advocate of the wicked, and stood up as their friend.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְה֤וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מִלֵּ֣א | mile' | he filled | H4390 → | 249 times |
| בָתֵּיהֶ֣ם | vateihem | houses their | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| ט֑וֹב | tov | good thing[s] | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וַעֲצַ֥ת | vaatzat | and [the] counsel of | H6098 → | 89 times |
| רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים | reshaim | wicked [people] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| רָ֣חֲקָה | rachakah | it is far | H7368 → | 57 times |
| מֶֽנִּי׃ | meni | from me | H4480 → | 1188 times |
וְה֤וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
מִלֵּ֣אhe filled
mile'H4390 →249 times
בָתֵּיהֶ֣םhouses their
vateihemH1004 →2046 times
ט֑וֹבgood thing[s]
tovH2896 →538 times
וַעֲצַ֥תand [the] counsel of
vaatzatH6098 →89 times
רְ֝שָׁעִ֗יםwicked [people]
reshaimH7563 →263 times
רָ֣חֲקָהit is far
rachakahH7368 →57 times
מֶֽנִּי׃from me
meniH4480 →1188 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Samuel 2:7The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.
it leads to
- Psalms 75:7
but it is God who judges; He brings down one and exalts another.
- Deuteronomy 8:17–18
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- Job 5:11
He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
- James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
- Job 1:21
saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
- Psalms 75:7
Through
Jeremiah 12:2You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.
it leads to
- Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught…
- Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Isaiah 29:13
Through
Psalms 17:14from such men, O LORD, by Your hand— from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they…
it leads to
- John 17:14
I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- John 17:14
About Job
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVI; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.